


Taking on the Burden

by Liadt



Category: Judex (1916)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Humour, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 10:20:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7973344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liadt/pseuds/Liadt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jacques feels alone, for a bit...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking on the Burden

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the a_war_of_roses LJ landcom bingo. Prompt: Alone

Jacques’ role of Judex, the dispenser of justice, was a lonely one, especially when his agents in Paris were seemingly unable to claim a single victory against a vicious, organised gang of villains. Jacques folded the disappointing report, he had been reading, and shoved it into his coat pocket. Rising from the stone bench, on the edge of the cliff, he gazed out at the blue waters of the sea. The vast expanse of water reminded him he was but a tiny speck struggling against the great odds set against him by this gang. As he kept his solitary vigil, he wondered why he bothered.

Suddenly, the cries of a child rang out from the bushes. Little Jean, his stepson, came bursting out of them. “Papa! Papa Jacques!”

Jacques ran forward to catch Jean as he stumbled on a loose piece of flint. Jean fell into his arms, grateful to have avoided a grazed knee and a stinging application of iodine.

“The Liquorice Kid is here!” said Jean, throwing his arms around Jacques’ neck.

“Hey! I’m the honoured guest here,” shouted the Kid, hot on Jean’s heels. “You see Monsieur de Tremeuse everyday.” He then grabbed Jacques round the waist for a hug. 

After the Kid, came Daisy, who misinterpreted the sight before her. “Oh Jacques, the children could have fallen over the cliffs if it wasn’t for you.” She threw her arms around them, with the ease of a professional acrobat.

“Daisy, my love, where has our boy got to?” called Cocantin, pushing the bushes aside. “So that is what you are up to. And as I always observe the rules of the house...” Not being as supple as Daisy, he went for a non-Daisy portion of the group. Generally he preferred to keep his hugs between just the two of them.

“Have the guests found you yet, brother?” Roger stomped over the bushes, persuading one of plants to give up and fall to the side.

His lungs somewhat crushed, Jacques struggled to say something coherent in reply.

Roger flicked his cigarette over the cliff and spread his arms wide. “I thought you needed cheering up. It appears I wasn’t alone.” And with that, he added his hug to the pile.

Then Jacqueline and Jacques’ mother, Julia, followed the well-beaten track to Jacques.

“Ah, those two boys remind me so much of Jacques and Roger when they were young,” said Julia. Overcome with nostalgia she went to scoop the boys into her arms, which didn’t quite work out.

Jacqueline looked at the hugging group askance for a moment. Stepping up to join in, she declared, “I love you all too.” This was met with hearty murmurs of agreement.

His head swimming from the press of warm bodies on a humid day, Jacques knew why he bothered: fighting evildoers was the only way he could get a bit of peace and quiet.


End file.
